Two-week-old Mila is pretty in pink & a newborn-sized flower crown!
This was the last photo session I shot before the polar vortex took over and all of Texas froze, and I’m so glad I met this little lady before the power was out for days!
Mila’s mama Aimee wanted a session with floral accents and lots of pink to celebrate her brand new baby girl. There were so many sweet snuggles and unforgettable memories with Mila. With Aimee and Mila in two outfits each during this precious at-home newborn session, there are so many amazing moments for this family to remember!
Pretty in PINK!
When I arrived at Aimee and Josh’s home, she was dressed in a soft pink knee-length dress and her baby girl was precious in a floral-print knotted gown. Although it wasn’t intentional, Aimee’s cute dress perfectly matched the pink tones in Mila’s nursery, where she also painted an emerald green accent wall.
We kicked off this sweet in-home newborn session in Mila’s nursery, which is often a family’s favorite place in the home. Most couples have invested many hours in creating the perfect room, so it makes sense to use this spot as a backdrop for photos. In fact, because I’m usually photographing such ornate, lovely nurseries, I include complimentary photos of baby’s room in every photo gallery! This helps mamas show off their hard work, and allows them to hang on to memories of what baby’s room looked like when they were born, since it’s likely to change as baby grows.
I used the emeral green accent wall, complete with a wooden cutout of Mila’s name and pink floral accents, as the background for several sweet moments. In order to give this family a few neutral options in the photo gallery, I also made sure to use softer backdrops too. This will give Aimee great options if she wants to decorate her home with images from Mila’s in-home newborn session.
A family of three with a baby girl
Proud new dad Josh wore jeans and a long sleeved maroon shirt, which perfectly picked up the darker tones in Mila’s floral knotted newborn gown. I also love how he contrasted a bit with Aimee’s light pink dress. By putting just Mila in a sweet, feminine patterned gown, baby is still the star of every image, and none of the photos look too busy.
When it was time to have a little fun with some accessories, Aimee selected one of my light pink girly bonnets for Mila, which also matched her tiny gown. Just this simple addition adds a new element to these photos! I like to use bonnets and hats to call more attention to baby’s tiny features; Mila has the sweetest little nose and lips!
Cuddles with mommy
Aimee wanted to use Mila’s room and the master bedroom for her at-home newborn session, so we wrapped up in Mila’s sweet space and moved downstairs for more family photos.
Josh and Aimee have a gorgeous, neutral-toned master bedroom; I knew my white chiffon and lace gown would look just magical on Aimee here. She changed Mila into a light pink gown, added a sweet patterned tiny headband – and we captured my most favorite series of images from this entire session!
The window effect: my most favorite way to photograph new mamas & newborns!
If there is one must-have photo during every in-home newborn session, it’s this one!
There is nothing more stunning than a new mama, in a flowy, floor-length dress, next to a window, cuddling with her baby.
I save these photos for the very end, because by this point mamas are nice and relaxed in front of the camera. Even on cloudy days, the light flowing in from a window is so wonderfully flattering; it allows that natural new mama glow to shine through!
For this series of images, my goal is to highlight just how beautiful motherhood is. The early days and weeks of having a baby, especially your first, are magical… and exhausting. You’re adjusting to litle sleep, learning how to breastfeed, changing diapers every hour, healing from birth and learning so much about this brand new little person.
But the beauty is in how much we love our babies, in sprite of the sacrifice.Â
My hope is that new mothers like Aimee see their newborn photo session as a motherhood milestone; for many women, these are the photos they’ll use to introduce their babies to the world – and also themselves as a mama. These are powerful memories, and images that families will look back on for decades as their child grows.
Wrapping up with Mila
I saved shots of just Mila for the remaining moments of this adorable in-home newborn session. With Mila in her sweet pink gown and one of my tiny newborn flower crowns, there’s almost too much cuteness in one image!
This beautiful blonde wooden bowl is new to my studio; in the past, I’ve always used a Moses basket. While I still love that option, I think this sweet bowl beautifully displays how tiny and perfect babies are when they curl up comfortably.
Everything about Mila in this series of photos is natural; her mama laid her gently in the bowl and she pulled her little knees up on her own; she showed off her lovely side profile without any assistance, and curled one sweet hand up near her face.
This was the perfect opportunity to capture her precious little features; babies change so much in the first six weeks!
Mila’s at-home newborn session includes some absolutely precious memories, and I know her parents will love having these photos as their baby girl grows!
Don’t miss Mila’s beautiful at-home newborn session in The Woodlands, TX